Need You Now
by IThinkILeftMyCoatOutside
Summary: The second instalment of my Lady A 'verse. Based off of the song of the same name. After some devastating news, Kurt finds solace in a number he finds in his Filofax


**Well, here it is! I've been working on this for a couple weeks now, and I'm really happy with the way it's turned out. I'm a little sad that I'm not going to be able to work on it anymore, but never fear! After I started this one I decided that this will be a series of four. Therefore, you have two more yet to come. They may be a while though as I'm working through exams at the moment, and I really want to get back to Something's Coming and True Colours first. I have already started the third of this series, but I may leave it for a while to work on my other stories... And revise, of course :)**

**So, I hope you enjoy this. If you haven't read _Dancin' Away With My Heart_, I would suggest you do that before reading this. It's not like this won't make any sense whatsoever if you don't read _Dancin'_ first, I just think it will make much better sense if you do :)**

**Enjoy :) Xxxxx**

* * *

Kurt bit his lip with a smile as he turned into his street. Memories danced through his head; they were the same memories that waltzed their way into his subconscious mind regularly, but this time they were ignited by the fact that the tune that had started it all had just been playing on the radio as he drove home from work. The next song started up and Kurt shook his head slightly to wake himself up from his daydreaming and concentrated back on the road, but the images were still there swimming around behind his eyes.

He pulled up outside his apartment building but didn't get out straight away; he needed to push the memories of the best summer of his life away and remind himself that, upstairs, he had a loving boyfriend who he had been with for two and a half years. Kurt and Liam had met in a café one May afternoon. Kurt had been deeply engrossed in his book whilst waiting for Quinn to show up when Liam had come and sat opposite him. He'd struck up a conversation with Kurt about the book and they had then talked for ten minutes before Liam announced he had to leave. They said their goodbyes and he left, with Quinn showing up just a few minutes later. Kurt had thought that had been it, but just a few days later, on a night out with Quinn and Mercedes, Kurt bumped into Liam again and they picked up where they left off. They chatted about everything and nothing before Kurt finally got up the courage to ask Liam to dance, and after a few more dates they were inseparable.

With his chest now feeling light and full of compassion for his boyfriend, Kurt climbed out of his car, retrieved his bag and headed up to his apartment. He was home early thanks to getting most of his work done ahead of schedule and he felt a little giddy at the idea of being able to surprise Liam; he was supposed to be back the next day, working late into the night and staying at a hotel near his office rather than driving all the way back home. But, considering he'd been working so hard over the past few weeks, his boss had sent him home and told him to check back in the next morning.

His key slid into the lock easily and he let himself into his apartment, tutting at the shoes left discarded next to the sofa in the living room. He dropped his bag down and went to pick them up, faltering when he didn't recognise them as a pair of Liam's. _Maybe he bought them today_, he pondered, still frowning as he put them neatly by the door, _or maybe one of his friends has come over again; they're all so messy_. Kurt walked through the apartment towards the guest bedroom, knowing Liam's console was in there and so if Liam _did_ have a friend over, they'd most likely be in there screaming at the TV.

As he neared the bedrooms, Kurt's ears picked up on a strange sound; a repetitive, rhythmic squeaking combined with the occasional grunt. His frown deepened as he tried to figure out what kind of game would make that noise but cold realisation hit him when he opened the door to the guest bedroom to find it empty. Numb, he turned to stare at the wood of his own bedroom door. Time slowed down as he stepped forwards, his hand extending to grasp the handle, and yet even in slow motion he couldn't prepare himself enough for what he found on the other side.

Tangled up in _his_ white sheets, Kurt found Liam with his arms gripping at the shoulders of another man as the two of them rutted shamelessly against each other. He heard the whispers of '_so good_' and '_yes, yes, harder_' that passed between them, the desire so prominent in their voices sending a thousand frozen knives into his chest. He could smell the thick, hot scent of sex mingled with the combination of his and Liam's colognes that normally filled their bedroom, the mix making his stomach churn violently. He saw the sweat covering their bodies, the concentration on their faces as they chased down _that moment_. He wondered how they hadn't heard him yet.

Liam cried out and Kurt felt so _dirty_, like _he_ was the one who was cheating by watching his boyfriend have sex with another man. It didn't make any sense; as far as Kurt was aware they were happy together, more than happy in fact. And it wasn't as if they didn't have sex anymore, either.

"Oh, shit," Kurt screwed his eyes shut and tightened his grip on the door handle, feeling sick at hearing his boyfriend being brought to climax by someone that wasn't him. The squeak of the bed stopped instantly and Kurt heard his name whispered brokenly. He looked up to see Liam staring at him, wide-eyed and petrified, with the man on top of him rolling off him in a panic and staring at Kurt as if he'd seen a ghost. He wasn't someone Kurt recognised, which Kurt was somewhat thankful for as it meant he hadn't unwittingly been nice to the guy who was screwing his boyfriend behind his back. Liam shuffled away from the guy, as if them sitting away from each other would make it better, all the while keeping his eyes on Kurt. "You didn't say that you would be home early," Liam blurted out the first thing that came to him, looking confused. Kurt glared at him, disgusted that Liam was trying to justify his actions.

"You're right, I didn't," Kurt sneered coldly, "Finish, please!" he spat sarcastically and slammed the door shut behind him as he span on his heel and left the room. Driven by anger and disgust Kurt stormed out of the apartment, picking up his bag and kicking the shoes he'd found earlier across the room as he did so. He started his car up as soon as he was in it, throwing his bag on the passenger seat, and sped off down the street.

* * *

His throat was burning; this was the fourth time he'd thrown up now, his mind playing the images of Liam over and over in a sick loop as he drove out of Lima. He wasn't sure which way he was going, all he knew was that he'd pulled over somewhere when he'd felt his stomach churning violently again. The towns he'd passed were just blurs; he had no idea where he was or where he'd passed through. He grabbed the bottle of water from his car that he'd bought at a gas station a few miles back and took a deep drink from it, feeling slightly better as it soothed his throat. It didn't stop the pounding in his head though, or the twisting knife in his chest.

Kurt got back in his car and started it up again, pulling out onto the road and re-joining the traffic. He was numb; his sense of direction was gone, his ability to care about anything other than keeping his foot on the pedal was gone and his life lay shattered about him with the crumpled pieces of his heart. The road was swallowed up by his car as he drove on, passing by more houses and buildings without paying them the blindest bit of attention.

It wasn't until Kurt started seeing road signs telling him he was approaching Mansfield that Kurt realised he'd left Lima two hours ago. He passed through the city wondering if he should turn back or if he should keep driving. If he kept driving, where was he going to stay? He didn't even have a change of clothes with him. He could rock up in a motel somewhere, but the thought of what else could have possibly happened in those beds made his skin crawl. How many people could have cheated on their significant others in those rooms? It wasn't worth thinking about. If anything, it just made Kurt feel even worse.

He finally decided to pull over just before he left Mansfield. He rummaged through his bag and found his Filofax, hoping he had someone in there who lived near to where he was situated right now. He wondered why he hadn't just gone to Quinn, or Mercedes, but when he thought of how close they were to home he knew he'd made the right decision to just drive away: Quinn's and Mercedes' would be the first places besides Kurt's family's place that Liam would go to look for him. Kurt found his phone in his bag but shoved it back in when he saw how many texts and missed calls he had. Most of them were going to be from Liam, begging Kurt to let him explain, and Kurt couldn't even bear the thought of him let alone to hear anything that scumbag considered an excuse. There were no excuses. None whatsoever. Kurt decided he would call Quinn and Mercedes later, but right now he just needed to find somewhere to stay.

Now that he had stopped, Kurt realised his hands were shaking as he fumbled with his Filofax. It slipped from his hands and he cursed as a handful of loose papers and business cards scattered across the interior of his car. He grabbed handfuls of them and pushed them into his bag, telling himself he'd sort them out later. One slip of paper, however, decided it wasn't going into Kurt's bag and slipped back out before floating down onto the floor again. Frustrated, Kurt leant across the console and picked it up, on the verge of ripping it to shreds or bursting into tears. A name on it caught his eye and he did a double take.

_Kurt, so great to see you again!  
It's been so long! We _**need**_ to keep in touch this time  
okay?  
Call me, and here's my address, too :)_

_Blaine xx_

Kurt read the address: Blaine lived in Cleveland. Kurt was in Mansfield. That was about halfway there, right? What harm could it do? He knew Blaine was married, and besides he'd gotten over his feelings for Blaine long ago. They'd bumped into each other just a few weeks before Kurt had met Liam; Blaine and his husband had been to visit Blaine's parents in Westerville and Blaine had decided to bring his spouse to Lima to show him around where he grew up and went to school. Kurt had been sat having coffee with Quinn when Blaine and – what was his name? Kurt couldn't remember, but it was something like Matt or Max or… something – had walked in. Blaine had been so thrilled to see him and Quinn that he'd nearly forgotten to introduce his husband to them, but once he had calmed down he'd taken his husband's hand in his, flashing him smiles at the end of nearly every sentence: it was easy to see by anyone and everyone that they were clearly in love. The four of them spoke for a while before Kurt and Quinn made their excuses and left. Kurt had been surprised that he felt _something_ over seeing Blaine happily married to someone else: it was either jealousy that he didn't have a special someone in his life then or it was jealousy that Blaine had a special someone that wasn't him. Blaine had given Kurt his number and address and had done the same for Quinn, determined that at least some of their old friendship group should get back in touch. It was hard not to mirror his enthusiasm, but as time passed that enthusiasm ebbed and Kurt didn't have the courage to get back in touch with his childhood sweetheart just to become friends and nothing more. And then he'd met Liam, and the whirlwind excitement of a new romance distracted him so much so that the next time he'd thought about contacting Blaine, Kurt had worried what Liam would think and let it slide.

And now here he was, dialling the number into his cell phone and considering which would be worse; Blaine being out, or Blaine picking up the phone.

* * *

"Blaine, stop it; I can't watch the film with you tickling my neck like that!" Max giggled, batting his husband away from where Blaine was nuzzling into his neck, Blaine's warm breath tickling the sensitive skin there.

"But I wanna snuggle!" Blaine whined, grinning as Max pushed him away again. They were cuddled up on the sofa watching The Proposal, one of Max's favourite films (he insisted it was for the storyline, not the glimpses of naked Ryan Reynolds).

"That's not snuggling, Blaine," Max grinned, keeping his eyes on the screen even though he could see Blaine crawling back up towards him across the sofa in his peripheral vision, "I know what you _really_ want," he turned to his husband just as he reached him, flashing Blaine a suggestive smirk. It was hard to miss the way Blaine's eyes lit up before darkening, a wicked glint in them highlighted by the light of the television.

Words weren't needed from then on; Blaine was already asking with his body language, leaning in towards his husband whilst at the same time keeping his distance in case Max said 'no'. Max agreed by shifting on the sofa so that he was leaning back against the arm and slid his legs beneath Blaine's body as Blaine crawled up to join their lips together. The film rolled on ignored as the kiss deepened, roaming hands coming into the mix. Hums of appreciation started to sound in the room as Max's hand ghosted up Blaine's spine at the same time as Blaine's hand caressed Max's toned chest. A hand dipped below the waistband of Max's pants and he gasped, arching up to encourage Blaine to keep going. But, if there was one word Max would use to describe his husband, it would be 'tease'. Just as Max thought he would get the friction he wanted, Blaine's hand retreated. Blaine swallowed Max's whines of complaint and shifted his weight so that his leg was pressed against his husband in return for getting some pressure himself off of Max's thigh. Max's whimpers of complaint soon changed into moans of appreciation, and Blaine echoed them with just as much passion.

The beeping of Blaine's cell phone made them both groan in frustration. They desperately tried to keep their lips together as Blaine tried to fish it out of his pocket to disconnect it, Max mumbling 'just leave it, let it ring' into Blaine's mouth. When he finally managed to get it free, Blaine glanced at his phone and quirked an eyebrow when he saw the unknown number on the display. His ringtone was nearing its end, and while he _really_ wanted to just turn it off and go back to ravishing his husband, he felt a strange pull towards answering it.

"Hold on," he whispered as he pulled away from Max, his breathing heavy as he sat up and answered the call. Max sat up grumpily and hunted for the remote to turn down the television before turning to his husband to see if he could gage who was calling just as things were reaching boiling point. "Hello?"

* * *

Kurt had been staring out of his window at the late-night traffic as he listened to the dial tone in his ear, white and red flashing at him as headlights and taillights passed him by. He hadn't expected anyone to answer, but he wasn't going to leave a message either, so if Blaine didn't answer him now he'd resign himself to a hotel bedroom and try again in the morning. He really didn't want to interrupt Blaine's life, and he'd typed in Blaine's number seven times before actually calling it. There was always the chance that Blaine had a new number now.

And so when he heard Blaine's voice in his ear Kurt nearly dropped his phone in shock. He opened his mouth to say hello in return, but nothing came out; his throat closed up and his tongue felt like it was made of lead.

"_Hello?_" Blaine said again in his ear, confusion clear in his beautiful voice. It amazed Kurt that after all these years that voice could still calm him down in an instant whilst also giving him the most intense butterflies in his stomach. Kurt heard someone murmur a question in the background and it suddenly hit him again that Blaine was _married_ now, and Kurt had most likely just interrupted their evening. "_I don't know, no-one's answering,_" Blaine told them, and Kurt's throat suddenly opened up when he realised Blaine was going to hang up on him.

"Blaine!" he blurted out, "Blaine, wait!"

"_Hello?_" Blaine repeated for the second time. Kurt felt like laughing and crying at the same time; he didn't realise he would be _this_ relieved to hear Blaine's voice again.

"Blaine, i-it's me," Kurt started uneasily, "It's Kurt," The line went momentarily silent and Kurt's heart hammered in his chest. What if Blaine didn't want to talk to him? What if he thought Kurt hadn't wanted to speak to him because he'd never gotten back in touch, and yet here he was phoning Blaine up out of the blue?

"_Kurt?_" Blaine's voice was barely above a whisper and full of disbelief.

"Hi, Blaine," Kurt chuckled uneasily, not really sure how to navigate a conversation like this.

"_Kurt, I can't- I- Wow,_" Blaine stammered, trailing off into a surprised chuckle, "_How are you? How've you been?_" Kurt winced at the question; he'd forgotten that was the question people always asked at the start of conversations.

"I've been better," he replied sarcastically, leaning his forehead against the cool glass of his window, "I've been _much_ better,"

"_Oh?_" Blaine's tone changed and it was like they'd never lost touch. Blaine's voice was full of concern and Kurt felt guilty that he hadn't gotten back in touch sooner. "_What's wrong? What's happened? It's not your dad is it?_" The last question took Kurt by surprise.

"M-my dad?"

"_I-I was just wondering,_" Blaine stammered slightly, "_I know he wasn't very well when we were in school,_" he sounded nervous now, and Kurt found himself smiling at how much Blaine still cared, "_I was just wondering if he's okay?_"

"Yeah, Dad's fine, thanks for asking" Kurt assured him and he heard Blaine sigh gently in relief.

"_No problem. So what's wrong?_"

"It's my boyfriend," Kurt started but slapped himself internally; Liam was no longer his boyfriend, no matter how hard he begged. "Well, he's not my boyfriend anymore,"

"_Oh, Kurt, I'm sorry,_" Blaine consoled him, and Kurt could tell it was a genuine, heartfelt apology. How was it that Blaine could still be so perfect, even when Kurt wasn't his to care about? "_What happened, if you don't mind me asking?_" Kurt did mind, but he felt the words leaving his tongue before he thought about stopping them.

"I found him this afternoon… our bed… another guy," tears started to flow as Kurt struggled to explain, the burning sensation returning to the back of his throat. He heard Blaine gasp on the other end of the line.

"_He- he cheated on you?_"

"Yep," Kurt nodded against the window even though Blaine couldn't see him.

"_Oh my God… Kurt, where are you?_"

"Mansfield. I had to get away from him and so I left the house and I drove and drove and didn't think about where I was going and now I'm in Mansfield," he said in a rush, fighting back the tears as they pushed at his eyes.

"_Okay… hold on a second okay?_" Blaine didn't wait for Kurt to answer before putting his hand over the mouthpiece. Kurt heard a muffled conversation and tried to catch fragments of it but his pulse was rushing in his ears and his head was pounding too loud for him to hear over. And then Blaine's voice returned and cut right through the middle of all the noise, clear as daylight, straight to Kurt. "_Do you have anywhere to go tonight?_"

"I was just going to check into a hotel," Kurt told him meekly. He wasn't expecting Blaine to object.

"_No Kurt, I can't let you check into a hotel after what's happened. Look, I know it's still a drive but I want you to come and stay with me, okay? We have a spare room, Max says it's fine for you to stay and I don't want you on your own tonight_." Kurt was gobsmacked that Blaine's compassion for him was still this strong and knew that he had no inner strength left to argue with him. He could still manage a weak protest, though.

"I- I can't just, invade on you and your husband like that-"

"_No, Kurt, really it's fine,_" Blaine reassured him, "_I- _We _don't want you on your own after what's happened_," Kurt felt his heart skip at Blaine's slip-up, but told himself off for it; he was hurting, and would most likely feel like this towards any guy who showed him some compassion tonight.

"I- okay,"

"_Great, okay then_," Blaine sounded like he was trying to keep his excitement down, but Kurt could still tell after all these years that he was incredibly happy that Kurt had decided to accept his offer, "_Do you need my address?_"

"Uh, no, I think I have it actually," Kurt admitted, picking the piece of paper up off his lap and running his eyes over the address Blaine had written down, "Is it that same one you gave me a couple of years ago?"

"_Must be; we've lived here for over three years now_," Kurt ignored the slight twinge in his chest when Blaine said 'we'; he was just hurting from knowing his relationship with Liam was undoubtedly _over_.

"Well then, I guess I'll see you in a few hours?"

"_I guess so_," Blaine's smile was audible down the phone, "_We'll talk more then, okay?_"

"Okay,"

"_Drive safe_,"

"Will do,"

"_Bye, Kurt,_"

"Bye, Blaine,"

* * *

Blaine stared at his phone for a few seconds before putting it down on the coffee table, the room falling quiet as he settled back on the sofa. Max had turned off the movie and was sat watching his husband as he spoke with his high school sweetheart. Of course he knew about Kurt; when he and Blaine had first gotten together nearly five years ago, before they were properly dating, they had spoken about other relationships they'd been in and Blaine had told him briefly about his summer romance with Kurt before college but it was clear to Max that it had meant more to Blaine than other relationships he had since.

And then they'd met him a year into their marriage on a visit to Blaine's parents in Westerville that had detoured to Lima for a day so Blaine could show him his old school and home. Max had felt a little strange coming face to face with what seemed to be the guy with whom Blaine had had one of the best relationships of his life, but after his initial excitement at seeing his old friends again had died down Blaine had grasped Max's hand and held it proudly atop the table, reassuring Max that Blaine was in love with _him_ and not _Kurt_.

But Max couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling of knowing that this man would be staying in his home. Even though he had told Blaine he was okay with it, he couldn't, in all honesty, say he'd meant it. But Blaine had given him those adorable puppy eyes and appealed to his better nature, telling him that Kurt was heartbroken and upset and he couldn't go home to Lima because his now-ex-boyfriend would still be there. Max cursed himself for giving in so quickly, but Blaine meant everything to him and if he would be happy knowing Kurt was safe with them, then Max would be happy he was happy.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay with this, babe?" Blaine tucked his feet up on the sofa and turned to Max, taking his hand as his hazel eyes searched Max's green ones.

"Of course I am, darling," Max smiled reassuringly, giving Blaine's hand a gentle squeeze and leaning forward to connect their lips in a tender kiss. Blaine hummed appreciatively when Max's tongue gently caressed his lips, and just as he thought they might pick up where they'd left off Max pulled away. "I'll go and make sure the guest bedroom is ready," he left with a final peck to Blaine's lips, giving his hips a little wiggle as he went up the stairs with a smirk. His smirk dropped when he glanced back to see that Blaine wasn't watching him leave the room as he normally did, and that was the moment he realised having Kurt to stay with them, even if only for a night, was going to be harder than he'd anticipated.

By the time Max came downstairs ten minutes later Blaine had moved from where he'd been sat on the sofa to the window seat, trying to act nonchalant and not make it look like he was watching out for Kurt's arrival. Max felt another weight added to his chest; sure, Blaine was just watching out to make sure Kurt got to their house safely, but he was already so attentive sooner than was necessary. If Kurt was just outside of Mansfield as Blaine had explained to him, he was still an hour and a half away _at least_.

"He won't be here yet, B," Max said as he approached his husband, plastering a warm, comforting smile on his face even if it didn't completely match how he was feeling inside. Blaine looked up at him, a small flash of alarm passing through his eyes when he realised Max had noticed his behaviour before it melted away, and smiled weakly.

"I know," he sighed heavily, glancing back out the window before turning away from the window, "I guess I'm just looking forward to seeing him again," Max dropped to his knees so that he was at eye level with his husband, waiting patiently for him to carry on, "I know the circumstances aren't great, but I haven't spoken to Kurt since that time we saw him when we went back to Lima and, relationship or not, he was one of my best friends… or he was once, anyway," Max took Blaine's hands in his and gave him a comforting smile when Blaine's eyes raised to meet his looking deeply apologetic.

"I understand, Blaine," he assured him softly, "I know you were close, and I know it hurts when bonds like that break or wear away over time. I know you still care about him, too. If he was my friend I'd be the same as you are right now, I just don't want you to be sat here worrying about when he's going to arrive," Blaine sighed again, his eyes drifting to the floor, "He'll get here when he gets here, Blaine. Unless you want him to get a speeding ticket, he won't be here any sooner than that," Max rose to his feet and guided Blaine gently to the sofa, letting Blaine rest his head in his lap as he turned on the television, "Let's just watch some TV, and then we'll be downstairs to greet him when he gets here, okay?" Blaine nodded against his leg before cuddling up even closer.

"I love you, Max," he mumbled against the denim of Max's jeans. Max looked down at the mass of curls resting on his lap and ran his hand through them, feeling a warmth in his chest that he felt every time Blaine said those three little words to him.

"I love you, too," he replied in a voice just above a whisper.

* * *

Kurt drove past Blaine's street four times before he finally turned down it. This was the first time he'd seen Blaine in over two years, and he was undeniably nervous. After calling Blaine, Kurt had spent the last hour and a half thinking about the boy who he had danced with for an entire summer and had discovered that his feelings towards him really hadn't changed all that much. He'd thought he'd been in love with Liam, but after much deliberation Kurt realised that maybe he'd been more in love with _idea_ of him and Liam than Liam himself. It wasn't as if he had just been with Liam to be with Liam, though: Liam had been the first guy – probably since Blaine – that Kurt had felt entirely comfortable with on a romantic level. In between there had been the guys who'd tried too hard to woo him and the ones who had barely tried at all, but Liam had been able to make his tummy flip happily just by bringing him coffee in the morning. When he'd been with Liam Kurt hadn't felt like he'd been in a relationship, more spending an immeasurable amount of time with his closest friend. But maybe that was the problem: when it came down to it, they'd been more like friends with benefits that lived together than boyfriends.

Whereas with Blaine Kurt had felt like he was in a relationship; Blaine was sweet, attentive, loving, and the living embodiment of every other quality Kurt had imagined his perfect boyfriend would have, and it just so happened that Blaine also became his best friend in the process.

Pulling up outside the address that was on the piece of paper Blaine had given him, Kurt swallowed his nerves and killed the engine. He stared out at the house; an adorable little house with a porch that ran along nearly the entire front face of the house, and in the dark Kurt could just make out a well-manicured garden that framed the path leading up to the house. It was the perfect little family home, and Kurt had a sudden empty feeling in his stomach that, had he and Blaine managed to make their relationship work when they were in college, all of this could have been his: the house, the garden, even the wedding ring on his left hand.

Just as he was about to reach across the console and grab his bag, the front door flew open. A shaft of light from inside shone out into the night, illuminating the garden path as whoever had opened the door came down the porch steps. As he neared the car, Blaine's face became clearer to Kurt. His expression was a mixture between concern, sympathy and excitement, but he tried to keep the latter hidden given the unfortunate circumstances.

Kurt was out of the car by the time Blaine reached him. He didn't even say anything, just flung his arms around Blaine's neck and held on tight, burying his face in Blaine's shoulder as his lack of sleep and emotional turmoil took over his body. Blaine's hands immediately closed around him, splayed on Kurt's back and holding the brunet close to his body. They stood holding each other for what felt like hours to Kurt. He revelled in the warmth of Blaine's body against his, immediately feeling safe. Memories of the last time they had held each other like this flooded back to him.

_Kurt brushed the curls out of Blaine's eyes and leant in to kiss him one last time. "This summer," he whispered, "Has been the best summer I've ever had."_

A tear escaped and rolled down Kurt's cheek as the memory of a broken promise entered his mind: _"We'll keep in touch, Blaine, I promise."_ He choked on a breath as he tried to hold back his sobs, subconsciously tightening his hands around Blaine's neck. Blaine held him closer, one hand moving up his back to softly stroke his hair, and Kurt felt like he could just melt.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt," Blaine murmured into Kurt's hair hugging him close again, but Kurt shook his head in protest into the crook of Blaine's neck.

"It wasn't your fault," he leant back to say, pulling out of Blaine's embrace reluctantly, "You have nothing to be sorry for,"

"No, but I'm still sorry," Blaine persisted gently, his voice carrying how much he cared, "My fault or not; it's not something I would wish on anyone, especially you," the corners of his mouth twitched in a small, brief smile before his gaze drifted to Kurt's car, "Do you have any bags or anything?" Kurt stared at him for a few seconds before nodding weakly. He turned to get his bag out of the car, grabbing the last few bits of paper he'd missed that had fallen out of his Filofax and stuffing them in his bag amongst the others; he would sort them out later. He locked his car and turned back to Blaine, who smiled warmly before gesturing up towards the house where Kurt noticed another figure waiting for them on the porch. "Welcome," he smiled, placing a guiding hand on Kurt's back as he led him up the path. As they neared, the appearance of the other man got clearer; he looked uncomfortable, and Kurt felt it, too; they'd met _once_, and now Kurt was coming into their home out of the blue.

"Kurt," Blaine moved over to the other man's side, a hand snaking round his waist, "You remember Max?" The man in question smiled at Kurt and offered his hand politely.

"Of course," Kurt strained a smile, taking Max's hand and shaking gently, their hands slipping away from each other easily once social protocol had been observed, "How are you, Max?"

"I'm fine, thank you," he replied politely, the small smile still gracing his lips, "I'm very sorry to hear about what happened, Kurt," his smile became more of a sympathetic frown.

"Thank you, but really, don't apologise," he requested politely with a smile, "It's not your fault or Blaine's. What's happened has happened; there's nothing any of us can do about that," Blaine and Max frowned but accepted Kurt's request anyway. Kurt continued, "I should be the one apologising, anyway," Blaine and Max's brows furrowed in confusion, Blaine shaking his head to begin to protest.

"Why?" he asked, his head tilting in the most adorable confused puppy-like way, "This wasn't _your_ fault either,"

"No, but I'm intruding in on you and your home and that's not fair," This time Max protested.

"Kurt, don't be silly; you're not intruding," he reassured Kurt with a friendly smile, stepping forward and placing a hand on Kurt's arm just above the elbow, "Please, come inside and I'll show you to the guest bedroom; you must be exhausted?" he enquired, and Kurt was starting to feel some of his tension slip away. He had been worried about meeting Max again, nervous that he would be overprotective of Blaine or bitter towards Kurt due to their previous relationship, but Kurt found himself easily relaxing and allowed Max to guide him through the house.

"I am, actually," he admitted sheepishly, his eyelids feeling like they were made of stone they were so heavy with want for sleep. Blaine followed behind them after shutting and locking the front door, turning off the downstairs lights as he went; it was late, and once Kurt had settled in he and Max would most likely retire to bed themselves.

"I'm not surprised; Lima to Cleveland is a long way to drive," Max sympathised, and Kurt nodded in agreement. They passed a few doors before Max stopped and turned to one on the left. "Here we are," he removed his hand from Kurt's arm and opened the door, flicking the light switch on as he lead Kurt into a tastefully designed bedroom; the décor was simple, nothing too personal, and perfect for a guest bedroom. The walls were split into two colours; a calming duck egg-blue covered the bottom half of the walls whilst a plain cream layer covered the top. The bed linens were the same blue as the walls and a cream throw blanket was spread across the bottom half of the bed. A few simple bits of furniture also occupied the room; a small, two-door wardrobe, a chest of drawers and a nightstand on either side of the bed. "I hope this will be okay," Max turned to Kurt, and Kurt could see that Max must be very house proud; he looked genuinely worried that this wouldn't suffice. But Kurt had to admit that he was impressed by the simple room and decided that he and Max would most likely be able to have some fantastic conversations about interior design.

"It's perfect, thank you," he told Max honestly, and the man clearly relaxed.

"Well, the bathroom is down the hall on the right," he gestured in the general direction of the bathroom, "And Blaine and I have an en-suite so that bathroom is, for all intents and purposes, _yours_ for as long as you stay with us," Kurt nodded in acknowledgement and gingerly placed his bag down at the foot of the bed.

"I, um- I don't… have anything to, uh, to sleep in," Kurt informed him nervously, but Max waved him off.

"Oh, don't worry about that! You look about my height? Taller than Blaine, at least," Blaine's protest from where he stood in the doorway was ignored, "So I can lend you something of mine if that's okay?" Kurt felt a little awkward at wearing his ex-boyfriend's husband's clothes, but was too polite and too tired to suggest otherwise.

"Sure, that's very kind of you, thank you," Max told him not to worry before leaving the room, squeezing Blaine's arm affectionately as he passed. Once Max had left, Blaine watched Kurt as he sat down on the side of the bed and slipped off his shoes. It amazed him how much he and Kurt had changed and yet how familiar Kurt still was to him. The only real change in him seemed to be the fact that he was now older; everything else- his fashion sense, his politeness, his whole demeanour- to Blaine was exactly the same as the teenage Kurt's he had known. Blaine was just about to tell Kurt how happy he was to see him again when Max came back into the room. Blaine watched as he and Kurt chatted briefly, Max handing over the pyjamas he was lending Kurt and Kurt thanking him again, and felt a warm glow of pride in his chest. Before, he was worried that Max would be protective of him around Kurt. He knew that Max had always been a little jealous of Blaine's relationship with Kurt despite its briefness and Blaine's reassurances that it was long over by the time they had met, and had been worried that Max might take that out on Kurt when he arrived. But here he was, playing the perfect host and welcoming Kurt into their home because he knew how much it meant to his husband, and that was something Blaine fully appreciated.

"Well, we'll leave you to sleep, now," Max smiled at Kurt, turning his attention briefly to Blaine, "We're going to head off to bed as well, but if you need anything we're just down the hall, okay?" He bade Kurt 'goodnight', which Kurt returned, and left the room. Blaine hesitated in the doorway for a few seconds as Max retreated down the corridor.

"Goodnight, Kurt," he said, getting ready to pull the door closed behind him when he left. Kurt looked back to him and smiled, an action which made Blaine nervous because it _still_ gave him butterflies after all these years.

"Goodnight, Blaine," the brunet replied holding Blaine's gaze for a few seconds longer before turning to the pyjamas that lay on the bed. Blaine took that as his cue to leave and shut the door softly behind him, following in Max's footsteps towards their own bedroom. Max was already brushing his teeth in the bathroom by the time Blaine came in, and Blaine could feel a slight hint of tension lingering in the air. He understood that this had to be hard for Max, but it was hard for him, too. He would have to tread lightly around Kurt whilst he was here so that Max didn't accuse him of being 'too friendly' or 'over-caring', which would be difficult. Blaine had always been a caring person, no matter who it was he was comforting. It was even harder given that it was Kurt, though; Blaine himself was scared that some of his old feelings for Kurt might be reignited, and so he knew that Max must be terrified of the same thing. Blaine and Kurt hadn't properly broken up when they were in college; they had been swamped down by work and new friends and they had told each other that they didn't think long distance was going to work for them, and eventually they had just stopped talking to each other. Blaine had been heartbroken for months, maybe even years, but it was just something that had happened and he'd felt like he'd had no control over it. It wasn't until about a year after his and Kurt's relationship had essentially ended that he'd realised all it would have taken was texting a little more often, the odd phone call and video chat and a visit or two. But, by then, he was sure that Kurt would have moved onto some other guy, much better for him than Blaine was, and so Blaine had resisted his urges to get back in touch and ask to try again. And while he had buried those feelings long ago, he had never truly _lost_ them, and that scared him more than anything. If he spent too much time with Kurt, those feelings could easily drag themselves back to the surface. But if he didn't spend enough time with Kurt and became distant, he could risk losing any chance of him and Kurt becoming friends again in the future.

"You okay, honey?" Max's voice jerked Blaine from his reverie, Blaine only then realising that he had sunk down to sit on the edge of the bed, his hands gripping the duvet on either side of his body. Blaine smiled at him and nodded, standing and giving Max a gentle kiss as he passed him to go into the bathroom. When Blaine came out again after brushing his teeth, Max was already tucked up in bed. Blaine turned the bathroom light off and padded across the carpeted floor to stand next to the bed, quickly changing into his pyjamas and sliding in beside his husband. Blaine cuddled up behind him and wrapped his arm around Max's waist, feeling his husband respond by placing a hand over Blaine's and interlinking their fingers.

"Thank you," Blaine murmured against the back of Max's neck, pressing a small kiss there afterwards.

"Don't mention it," Max whispered back in the darkness, giving Blaine's hand a gentle squeeze.

"I love you," Blaine professed once more, pulling Max a little closer.

"Love you, too," Max returned a few seconds later, leaning back into Blaine's touch. He lay staring into the darkness of their bedroom, the faint glow of the street lights outside illuminating their curtains. A thousand and one thoughts flew through his head, all of the worries he had about Blaine and Kurt seeing each other again taking centre stage. He felt so guilty; Blaine was his husband, and it was Max's duty to trust him to be loyal and faithful to their marriage, but he was finding it hard right now to do that. He screwed his eyes tight shut, trying to push the thoughts out, and opened them again. He distracted himself by thinking back over the last five years, playing his and Blaine's relationship over and over from the start, and relishing in the comfort of the body against his back.

* * *

Blaine didn't know what had woken him up, but he was definitely awake. His first thought was to make sure Max was okay, the sleeping figure of his husband beside him instantly calming him. Blaine looked about in the darkness, straining his ears for any peculiar sounds, and was just about to lay back down convinced it was all in his imagination when he heard something. He stilled and listened out for it again. There it was; a soft, quiet whimpering coming from somewhere in the house. Immediately Blaine knew what it was: Kurt. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand: _01:13_. Blaine turned back over to Max and pressed a lingering kiss to his neck, gently withdrawing his hand from Max's and shuffling out of bed. He tiptoed across the room and opened the door as quietly as he could, closing it again softly behind him. His heart hammered in his chest as he approached the door to the guest bedroom: was this the right thing for him to do? Or should he have left Kurt? What was he expecting to happen?

Blaine found himself standing outside the guest bedroom, his hand hesitating just about the handle as he listened to Kurt's crying. He wasn't sure what he'd been planning on doing when he'd gotten out of bed, and now he was here he still wasn't sure. He knocked lightly and the crying stopped. Blaine gently opened the door and stepped inside, peering into the dark room.

"Kurt?" There was a slight shuffling and a sniffle and the room went quiet.

"Blaine?" Kurt's voice wavered slightly as he whispered back, and Blaine took another step into the room.

"Are you okay?" Kurt sniffled again.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied unconvincingly, "Sorry if I woke you," Blaine shut the door behind him and came into the room, feeling his way to the bed.

"Don't be sorry, Kurt," he soothed as he crawled onto the foot of the bed, sitting on his knees," It's understandable, and it's fine," he felt Kurt shuffle around in the bed and as his eyes adjusted to the dark he saw him sitting up against the headboard. Silently, Kurt leant forward with his hand outstretched feeling across the bed until he came into contact with Blaine's knee. Both of them jumped slightly at the contact, but Blaine was quick to take Kurt's hand in his. They sat silently together, Blaine shifting forward so that Kurt wasn't having to reach all the way across the bed.

"I'm so sorry, Blaine," Kurt whispered brokenly, the closeness of another round of tears audible in the waver of his voice. Without letting go of Kurt's hand Blaine moved up to sit next to him, leaning against the headboard. He put his other arm around Kurt's shoulders, Kurt settling his head onto Blaine's shoulder. "I'm so, _so_ sorry," he whispered again.

"Kurt, I've told you; you have nothing to be sorry about. What your boyfriend did-"

"I'm not talking about that," Kurt interrupted him. The darkness was giving him confidence as it meant that he could say these things to Blaine without having to look him in the eye. Blaine fell silent, obviously waiting for Kurt to elaborate. Kurt took a deep breath and spoke again. "I'm sorry about… about how things ended… be-between us," his stomach dropped with nerves; he'd been waiting to say this for the past ten years, and now he'd taken the opportunity he wasn't sure that he didn't want to take it back. Blaine obviously hadn't been expecting it, his body tensing against Kurt's once the words had been spoken. Kurt was expecting him to flinch away and go back to his own bedroom without a word, back to his husband, but instead Blaine's grip on his hand tightened and the arm around his shoulders pulled him in closer.

"I'm sorry, too," Blaine replied quietly, his voice sounding distant as he continued to hold Kurt. Hearing that Blaine felt the same as he did, even if it was only the regret of how their relationship ended and nothing else, comforted Kurt. He felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders, his guilt wiped away in knowing that, on some level, Blaine must have felt just as responsible for the demise of their brief romance as he did. Comforted, Kurt let himself relax into Blaine's embrace. When he had woken half an hour ago, Kurt had panicked and forgotten where he was. He remembered not long after that he was in the immaculate guest bedroom of Blaine and Max's home in Cleveland, but then the reason why had hit him again like a huge punch to the stomach. Even after only such a short sleep Kurt had felt more awake, which meant that his mind was once again whirring uncontrollably and replaying 'Liam and his lover' as acted out in Kurt's bed. The tears had come then, and he had tried his best to muffle them in the thick pillows, but he obviously he hadn't done very well because twenty-five minutes later Blaine had knocked on his door asking if he was okay.

As Kurt started to drift off to sleep again, he felt himself cuddling into Blaine and briefly panicked that he was crossing a boundary. But when Blaine didn't pull away, in fact he reciprocated Kurt's embrace, Kurt relaxed. The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was the smell of Blaine's cologne and the rise-fall of his chest against Kurt's cheek.

* * *

The gentle glow of the rising sun filtered in through the gap in the curtains, painting a faint orange-yellow line across the bedroom floor. A persistent beeping sounded throughout the room, cut off by a hand blindly searching for the snooze button and succeeding. The bed was cold and empty other than himself, and Max knew exactly why. He'd woken when Blaine had gotten out of bed at a quarter after one that morning, and had read more of his book as he patiently waited for him to return. But when the house had once again fallen silent and Blaine still hadn't returned at quarter to four, Max put down his book, turned off his bedside light and went back to sleep.

He rolled out of bed and made to go downstairs, determined to carry on as usual, but there was a nagging voice in his head telling him that Blaine was still in the guest room and that shouldn't be something he ignored. But Max wanted to be able to trust his husband, and so carried on as usual. At least, he did until he reached the third step down. He turned on his heel and crept back up the stairs, past his and Blaine's bedroom and towards the guest bedroom. He braved himself for what could lie beyond the door, holding back the tears just in case they were premature. His hand closed around the door handle and his throat closed up, so he took a few seconds to take a deep breath before opening the door. He closed his eyes as he stepped into the room, trying to hold it off for as long as possible. He opened his eyes slowly, and nearly collapsed. He felt his knees go weak under his weight and wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry with relief. Blaine had his arms around Kurt, hugging him close, and Kurt was nestled right in next to him, but what reassured Max was not only that they were both still fully clothed, but that while Kurt was tucked up under the blue comforter, Blaine was laying on top of it. Quietly, Max tiptoed up to the bed and lovingly covered Blaine over with the cream throw blanket. He knew it was probably a little late to make sure Blaine wasn't cold given that it was now morning, but Max couldn't help but be concerned for his husband.

And so, he snuck back out of the room, shut the door gently behind him and went downstairs to make breakfast, fully content with the knowledge that, for now, his marriage was still very much intact.

* * *

_Kurt smiled as he took a deep breath in, various notes of summer filling his nostrils; the delicate aroma of lavender only just detectable above the sweet scent of the pale pink hyacinths and other midsummer blooms that lined the garden. He had never felt as peaceful as he did then, looking up at the pure blue as he lay on his back, his pillow gently rising and falling beneath his head. His smile spread when a hand softly stroked his hair, a contented hum escaping his throat as his eyes slipped shut again. _

"_I could stay here forever," the vibration of Blaine's voice against the back of his neck made Kurt smile again. He hummed again, this time in appreciation, and opened his eyes. The grass tickled his bare feet and his legs from the knee down as he turned onto his tummy, resting his chin on his hand on Blaine's chest. Blaine looked down at him, squinting slightly against the sunlight, with the same blissed-out expression on his face as Kurt felt. They'd been lying together in Blaine's garden, soaking up the summer sun, for just over half an hour whilst they had the day to themselves. They had been in Blaine's room, but to Blaine's surprise Kurt had insisted on going outside, protesting that it was 'too beautiful outside to stay cooped up inside'. The hand that had been stroking Kurt's hair moved down to caress his shoulder, Blaine gazing at Kurt with those lovesick eyes Kurt had spent the last three and a half weeks of his summer staring into. "Stay with me?" Blaine proposed quietly, his fingertips brushing lightly against Kurt's shoulder. Kurt felt his heart flutter excitedly in his chest, his breath catching in his throat, as he held Blaine's gaze._

"_I'd love to," he replied breathlessly, a smile slowly creeping onto his face. A matching grin appeared on Blaine's lips and, using his hand on Kurt's shoulder, he guided his boyfriend closer until their lips met in a sweet, tender kiss-_

Kurt woke with a start, panic-stricken at the strange surroundings and unaware what had caused him to wake so suddenly. He became aware of a body next to him and started backwards, the weight of Blaine's arm on his shoulder surprising him. He stared at Blaine and went cold; they hadn't… _had they?_ Kurt looked down and a relieved sigh escaped his throat when he saw the pyjamas he had borrowed from Max-

_Max_. Blaine was here, in his bed, with his arm draped around Kurt's shoulder, so where was Max?

Blaine stirred beside him and Kurt shifted away from where he'd been cuddling against him, putting a bit of space between them. It was only then that he realised he and Blaine had been separated by the duvet, and he felt even more relieved. Despite the decent amount of sleep he'd gotten, even after his midnight crying session, Kurt was still absolutely exhausted. Emotionally, he felt like he hadn't slept for weeks. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and buried his head in his hands before running his fingers through his hair.

"Kurt?" Blaine's groggy, sleep-laden voice from behind him made Kurt jump slightly and he turned to see Blaine rubbing his eyes sleepily as he sat up. He removed his hand and his concerned gaze fell on Kurt, "Are you okay?" Kurt thought about it for a few seconds before resigning to a weak nod – he wasn't ready to think about everything all over again so soon after waking up.

He opened his mouth to suggest they go downstairs but was cut off by the ringing of his phone buried deep within his bag. He eyed the bag sceptically before padding over to it and fishing his phone out. His heart clenched when he realised it could be Liam phoning him, but he calmed slightly – only slightly – when he saw that it wasn't Liam.

It was Quinn.

Kurt shot Blaine a pleading look and Blaine nodded knowingly, putting his finger to his lips to show he would be quiet as he slipped off the bed and dramatically tiptoed out of the room. Kurt held back a giggle at how ridiculous he looked before accepting the call, very aware of the fact he'd let it ring until the last second before it went to voicemail. He lifted the phone to his ear and cautiously spoke. "Hello?"

"_Kurt, oh my GOD, I've been so worried about you!_" Quinn's voice echoed down the phone, breathlessly relieved, "_Where ARE you?! We've been worried sick about you!_"

"Quinn," Kurt started quietly once she had stopped, "What- what do you think has happened?" Quinn's end of the line fell silent and Kurt's stomach churned nervously: she obviously knew he'd left Lima, but did she know the exact reason _why?_

"_What do you mean?_" she asked, her voice now quieter and timid. When Kurt didn't reply, she asked again. "_Kurt? Kurt, what's happened?_"

"How did you know I was gone?"

"_I- Liam called me last night… He asked if I'd heard from you…_"

"And did he tell you _why_ I left?"

"…_no?_"

"Ugh, I knew it," Kurt sighed through gritted teeth. He sat on the edge of the bed, his head rested on his free hand.

"_Kurt? What's going on?_"

Kurt braced himself by taking a deep breath. "He cheated on me, Quinn," he heard his best friend gasp on the other end of the line, but he wasn't finished yet, "Not only that, I _caught_ him cheating… in _our_ bed-"

"_Oh my god…_"

"So I turned around, grabbed my bag and left,"

"_Kurt,_" Quinn's voice was soft and gentle, full of sympathy and everything Kurt needed from her right now, "_Why didn't you come to me? Or 'Cedes?_"

"I was going to, I swear. But you and 'Cedes are just so close to home, and I knew that you would be the first person Liam would go to, to look for me. I'm so sorry, Quinn,"

"_Don't apologise_," Quinn said abruptly before her voice went sweet and gentle again, "_I understand, Kurt, I just wish you'd come to me. I had no idea what was going on last night. All of a sudden you've disappeared and no one has any idea where you are- where ARE you?_"

"I… I'm, uh- I'm in Cleveland,"

"_Cleveland?_" Quinn replied bluntly, confused.

"Yeah, Cleveland,"

"…_Why the HELL are you in _Cleveland_?_"

"Well, I was driving last night and I got to Mansfield and realised how far I'd driven," Kurt explained, his heart thumping rapidly with every second that passed. He knew that Quinn knew he'd never _quite_ gotten over Blaine, and in all honesty he was a little worried about how she would react when she found out where he'd spent the night. "So I pulled over and thought about if I knew anyone near-ish to Mansfield that I could maybe call and ask if I could sleep on their couch or something,"

"_And…?_" Quinn tailed off expectantly, waiting for him to just tell her where he was.

"And I found an address of… an old friend who lives in Cleveland,"

"_An old friend?_" Quinn asked incredulously, her voice full of suspicion. Kurt could just see the unimpressed raised eyebrow she was giving him right now.

"Yeah…"

"_Who do you know in Clevela- Ohmygod_," Kurt bit his lip, hoping that Quinn would at least let him explain before she completely flipped out on him, "_Kurt, tell me you didn't_," Kurt kept quiet, relieved that she had figured it out before he'd had to tell her but also nervous of what lay ahead, "_Kurt… did you- Did you stay with who I'm thinking you stayed with last night?_"

"Who do you think I stayed with last night?"

"_...Blaine?_"

"…Yeah-"

"_Oh my GOD, Kurt! What were you thinking? He's married!_"

"Yes, I know that, Quinn," Kurt shot back dryly, "He does live with his husband, you know! It would have been hard for me _not_ to notice!"

"_So what happened? Did you just rock up and ask to borrow their couch?_"

"Of course not! I called him-"

"_You called him,_"

"-and told him what had happened-"

"-_and told him what had happened,_"

"-and _he_ invited me to stay with him-"

"_-and he invited you to stay with him?_"

"That's what I just told you, isn't it?"

"_Alright, alright, no need to get sassy_," Kurt refrained from groaning in frustration, "_I was just making sure I understood. So… when are you coming home?_"

"What?"

"_When are you coming home?_" Quinn repeated, "_You can't expect your ex-boyfriend and his hubby to put you up forever_," she reasoned, and Kurt knew she was right- he just _really_ didn't want to go back to Lima, "_Why don't I drive over and get you?_"

"What about _my_ car?"

"_I'll bring 'Cedes,_" Quinn shrugged off the protest, "_One of us will drive your car back and one of us will drive _you_ back,_" Kurt considered just agreeing, but in a weird sense he felt rude for not staying longer with Blaine and Max. They had let him into their home and he was just going to walk out the door the very next day, not even twenty-four hours later. But Quinn was right; they couldn't put him up forever, and he would never expect them to.

"I- okay, sure," he felt his heart drop; he was going to have to say goodbye to Blaine so soon after seeing him again. Quinn failed to hold back an excited squeak on the other end, "Let me tell Blaine and I'll text you the address, okay? Or do you still have it?"

"_Kurt, it was written on a tiny square of paper, what do you think? Of course I don't have it anymore_," Kurt smirked; Quinn was terrible for losing things, especially pieces of paper. He'd bought her a calendar a few years back but she'd never used it; she was so forgetful he had to text her to remind her of their coffee dates sometimes.

"Okay, I'll text you it once I've told Blaine and Max that you're going to come and get me,"

"_Okay,_"

"See you later,"

"_Yep, see you later_,"

"Love you, Quinnie,"

"_Love you, Kurtie_,"

Kurt hung up the phone and sighed, leaving the bedroom and heading downstairs. Max and Blaine were having a hushed conversation in the kitchen, the two of them sat shoulder-to-shoulder at the kitchen table with coffee mugs warming their hands, when Kurt walked in. They cut their conversation short and smiled at him, a third mug sat waiting for him on the table. Kurt gratefully sat down in the seat Blaine indicated for him to take and took a sip of the coffee. It was still quite hot, but drinkable, and it warmed him up from the inside as it slid down his throat.

"How are you feeling?" Max asked, watching him attentively with his green eyes.

"Better," Kurt replied honestly. Despite the crying, he'd actually had a better night's sleep than he'd expected to get, "Thank you again, for letting me stay,"

"We told you; it's no problem," Blaine reassured him with a smile.

"You can stay as long as you need to," Max added, "We can go out and buy you some new clothes if you need, so you have something to wear other than my clothes," he joked, but the sentiment was meaningful and proper. Kurt smiled gratefully, but shook his head gently.

"That won't be necessary," Max and Blaine shared a bemused glance before turning back to their house guest, "A friend of mine- Quinn," he looked pointedly at Blaine, hoping he'd remember who she was. If Blaine's 'ah' of realisation was anything to go by, he did, "She just phoned me, asking where I was, and has offered to come and pick me up," Kurt wasn't surprised at all to see Blaine's face drop slightly with disappointment, but he hadn't expected his departure to evoke the same reaction from Max. "I just really wanted to thank you, for letting me stay here last night. It was incredibly rude of me to just call Blaine up, especially after how long it's been," Kurt raised his hand to silence Blaine before he could protest, "And I really hope we can keep in touch; I'd really like to get to know you both," he looked to Blaine and added, "Again," Blaine chuckled and smirked, "I realised that I never gave you my details in return," Kurt continued, glancing around for a piece of paper or _something_ to jot down his number on. Blaine rose from the table and left the room, reappearing only seconds later with a pad of paper and a pen in his hand. He placed them down on the table in front of Kurt and regained his seat, taking a drink from his coffee. Kurt smiled his thanks before taking the pen up in his hand, "Here's my mobile number," he scribbled down the series of digits, quickly followed by another, "And this is my work number," he tore the sheet off the pad and slid it across the table, "I would give you my home number and my address but I doubt I'll be staying there much longer," he admitted with a grimace. There was no way he was staying in that apartment. He'd stay with Quinn or Mercedes for a while, maybe even move back in with his dad, until he found a new place, and then he could try to start afresh as soon as possible.

"Well, thank you," Max smiled as he took the small sheet of paper and fastened it to the fridge with a magnet, "But it really is a shame you can't stay longer," he looked Kurt in the eye briefly, a bashful smile on his lips, "I would have liked to get to know you a little better," Kurt felt the weight of guilt settle in his chest, but Max waved his own words away and smiled a little brighter, "But, we have plenty of time for that when circumstances are better, don't we?" he tapped the piece of paper now on the fridge, "Especially now we have your number," he grinned, and Kurt felt himself smiling, too; Max was really lovely, even to s stranger like Kurt, "I'm going to go and get changed," he excused himself with a small wave and left the room, leaving Kurt and Blaine alone together. They sat in silence, taking the odd sip from their drinks.

"Thank you, for last night," Kurt spoke when his cup was nearly empty. He looked up to see Blaine smile.

"Don't worry about it," Blaine replied earnestly, "Anything for a friend," Kurt noticed Blaine's smile didn't quite reach his hazel eyes, but reciprocated all the same, because that's all they were; friends.

* * *

"Ready to go?" Quinn put her hand on Kurt's arm comfortingly. They were stood by her car, Mercedes just a few feet away with Kurt's keys in her hand, ready to leave. They had arrived over two hours ago when Max insisted they at least stop and have a cup of coffee with him and Blaine, and Blaine wasn't about to let them just leave, either. The offered cup of coffee evolved into two, and then three, as the group of five chatted and got to know each other, even if only briefly. Kurt and Quinn introduced Mercedes, a friend they had gained since they had last seen Blaine and Max, and the group seemed to click incredibly well. So well, in fact, Quinn had secretly been a little reluctant to announce they had to get going- they had a long drive ahead of them back to Lima.

Blaine immediately scooped Quinn up into a hug, making no secret of the fact he was ecstatic to see her again, and it didn't take much to convince Mercedes to give him a hug as well, albeit less enthusiastic. Max gave both girls a brief hug, and then it was time for Kurt to say goodbye. He went to Max first, putting off having to say goodbye to Blaine just yet. It was a silent agreement that they would hug, Max and Kurt. It didn't last long, but it was meaningful as Kurt tried to express just how much he appreciated Max's hospitality and Max attempted to let him know that it really was no trouble and, despite circumstances, he'd enjoyed meeting Kurt. They pulled away with small smiles and then it was time for Kurt to say goodbye to Blaine.

Blaine took a step towards him, and Kurt closed the gap between them as he wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck. Hands on Kurt's back held him close and every part of Kurt's body that was in contact with Blaine tingled, but all too soon they were gone, the small audience around them limiting the extent of their goodbyes. They smiled at each other instead, and for the first time their eyes locked completely rather than the quick glances they had exchanged since Kurt had arrived. Kurt felt the breath knocked out of him by those hazel-honey eyes alone, and the way Blaine's shoulders tensed told him that he wasn't alone.

"Come on," Max suddenly said, smiling at the girls, "We'll lead you to your cars," he took a few steps before turning back for Kurt and Blaine to follow. Kurt pulled his eyes away and joined Max, letting the love of his life's husband lead him outside.

"We'll keep in touch," Max promised as Quinn switched on the ignition and Kurt climbed into the passenger seat, winding down the window to watch Blaine join his husband on the garden path. Hazel sought out ocean-blue, and they locked almost instantly.

"Yeah, we will," Kurt replied distantly, his eyes never leaving Blaine's.

"I've got your number," Blaine stated, his gaze holding steady.

"And I've got yours," Kurt countered. They grinned at each other for a few seconds until Kurt heard a chorus of goodbyes and he was moving away down the street. Quinn turned to him when they reached the end of the street.

"Are you sure you're ready to go back?" Kurt glanced in the wing mirror and saw Blaine's figure still stood down the street and smiled to himself.

"Yeah," he turned to Quinn and grinned, "I'm sure," Quinn squeezed his hand before pulling away from the junction, and Kurt watched as Blaine's figure got smaller and smaller in the reflection of the mirror.

* * *

**Well, there you go :) 11,826 words of Klaine! Let me know what you think - as always, I love hearing from you guys :) **

**Until next time,**

**Xxxx**


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